Hoima, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Over 500 Hoima district residents who were forcibly removed from their ancestral land earlier this year have filed a lawsuit against Hoima Deputy Resident District Commissioner Michael Kyakashari, District Police Commander Patrick Bogere, and seven others for an unlawful eviction.
This group, comprised of farmers and pastoralists, was displaced in February when a group of police officers and private guards conducted a raid on homes in various villages, including Waaki North, Waaki South, Kapapi Central, Runga, and Kiryatete, within Kapapi and Kiganja sub-counties. The disputed land encompasses 926.25 hectares on block 9, plot 38.
The eviction involved the burning of more than 50 homes and the looting of an unspecified number of animals, including cows and goats. Some of the evicted individuals sought refuge at Rwenyana Gospel Church in Kapaapi sub-county, while others scattered to neighboring villages, where they endured harsh conditions.
During the eviction, security forces detained over 10 individuals who resisted the eviction and held them at Hoima Central Police Station. The displaced residents have now turned to the courts, seeking an immediate order to regain access to their land.
Represented by their attorney, Anthony Odur, the displaced individuals are pursuing criminal charges against the RDC, DPC, and others named as Moses Byangire Asiimwe, Brigadier Peter Nabasa, William Ndaula Gafayo, Nathan Kiiza Byarugonjo, Michael Oketcha, Oromo Luzira, and Magnum Security Company Limited. They allege that these accused individuals jointly orchestrated and executed their brutal eviction from their ancestral land.
According to Odur, the residents were evicted without a court order, and the eviction was carried out at night, in violation of provisions outlined in the Land Act.
On February 22, 2023, the Minister for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, ordered the more than 500 displaced families to return to their land. She directed the district security committee to collaborate with local leaders in the area to facilitate the immediate return of these families to their ancestral land.
However, as of now, the displaced individuals are still unable to access their land due to the ongoing security presence on the disputed property.
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